Endocrine and Metabolic Studies in Children with Male Pseudohermaphroditism1

Twenty-four patients with male pseudohermaphroditism have been studied. In all of them, plasma concentrations of testosterone (T) and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHAS) were measured before and after stimulation with HCG. Before puberty (21 patients), the mean plasma concentration at 40.5±10 ng/100 ml (sd) was similar to that found in normal children. After HCG administration, an abnormally low increase in plasma T was observed in 10 patients out of 24. Nitrogen retention was measured in 10 patients, both before and during treatment with testosterone propionate. A sharp rise in nitrogen retention was observed in all cases. In 9 patients, both testicular androgenic function and end-organ sensibility to androgens were normal.